Bumper



March 4, 1930.

B. RUSSELL BUMPER Filed Dec. 24. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l March, 4, 1930. RUSSELL 1,749,112

' BUMPER Filegi Dec. 24, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1930. B; RUSSELL I ,112.

BUMPER Filed Dec. 24. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 7 A; 371/ $15327 flwg @w 741% assed Mar. 4, 930

STATE I PATENT ori ce BERT nussniin, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORTO GENERAL MOTORS CORPORA- p TION, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE BUMPER i Application filed. December 24,1928. Serial 328,079.

' l his invention, although' broadly entitled, relates more particularly toso-called quark terl'buinpers, or to bumpers whose outer or terminal sections are outwardly yieldable or.

12 conditionally movable, "for the purpose of facilitating the separation of two machines when parts thereof become interlocked as a result of a traffic accident, or the like.

For example, as a result .of a misinterpretation of signals oras a result of errors in estimating rates or directions of movement,

it is not uncommon for clashing bumpers to become so interlocked that no manipulation,

from a'drivers seat, of either of the machines directly, concerned can separate the same within'a reasonable interval of time and resort toflthe use'of a jack on jacks,ito bring 4 mary objective of this invention to provide,

' what ini'ghtbe referred to as quickly detach- .able or easily releasable or companionate? bumpers. r i

Some forms of this invention utilizespecial means for interlocking or for resiliently or otherwise interconnecting or couplingqu'arter bumpers or terminal bumper sections with intermediate or central bumper sections; and some forms, of thesaid invention may utilize special coupling pins or elements 'which include special step parts (the steps thereof being: comparable with those ncurrently provided upon sp'ort*models tate the use or manual withdrawal of vsaid which include rumble seats) or other spe cial heads or parts'so positioned as to facilic'oupling' elements, thereby ordinarily ob- Preferred forms of the present invention means which, althoughbiasing'a quarter viating the use'of tools to e'fiect the release of an interlockedbumper. g

may include resilient bumper-positioning bumper t WELI'd a normal inneror impactresist-in'g position and supporting it against undesired movement therefrom, nevertheless permit said bumperto swing outwardly from such normal position for automatic disengagement after any interlocking ofthe same with some part of any other machine.

- Other objects of this invention may be appreciated from the following description, including several alternative forms thereof, taken in connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. I

Figure l'may be referred to as a perspectiveview including only the rear part of an automobile which is equipped with quarter bumpers'illustratingone form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a quarter bumper of that general type which is illustratedin Figure 1,; a terminalportion of an interlocked bumper, carried by another machine, being shown in dotted lines.

' 3 Figure 3 is a separate and larger-scale elevational view of a tool-obviating connecting element including a head or handle in the form of a step and suitable foruse in such an organization as is shown in preceding figures,this view being taken from the direction indicated by the arrow 3 ofrFigure 2,

and associated parts being partially indicated cated by the lines 7-7 in Figures 8 and 9.

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively detail viewstaken substantially on lines 8-8 and 9-9 ofFigure 7; i

Figures 10 and 11 and 12 are respectively top plan views takensimilarly to Figure 2 butshowing further alternative forms.

Figures 13 and 14 are respectively a plan View, showing a further alternative form, and a perspective view corresponding theret0,'-optional features being included as hereinafter described.

Figure 15 is a detail sectional View, taken substantially as indicated by the line 1515 of Figure 12 or theline ,15l5 of Figure 13 Referring first to the disclosure in Figures '1-3 inclusive, a car 10 may have secured to a as a shackle-carrying horn 11) a bumperattachment bracket or element 12, permanently retained by welding or by means such as bolts or screws 13; and a quarter bumper 14, including an impact-receiving element 15' and intermediateelements 16 and 16' may be.

secured to said attachment elementby con.-

neoting means comprising a removable coupling pin or substantially parallel rod or pin elements 17, 17,saidpin' elements prefer ably serving as gravity-retained meansnormally securing the mentioned parts in their indicated relationship, although manually engageable, for withdrawal, bymeans such as special handles in the form of heads or an interconnecting head adapted 1:01 serve'as a step 1.8. g

In a form shown in Figures 4 and 5, a quarter bumper 14 is shown as secured to a' car-carried attachment element 12 by means comprising .an endless cliplS and a specialcoupling element in the form of arod or. pin 17 ,upwardly terminating in. a special head in the form ofa step part 18. The clip 13 and the pin 17* are shown as adapted to cooperate in a locking engagement of abutting ends-of intermediate ele-,

ments l6 a'nd 16 of-the bumper 14 It will be obviousthatin case a bumper 19 or other part of any car becomes inter-- locked with a quarter bumper of the general character described, in the general manner suggested in Figure 2, .an upward with} drawal'of pins such as are shown as integral with the step 18 and with the step 18 effects a complete separation er a corresponding bumper, to permit withdrawal of the interlocking element 19 before thenient-ioned parts are restoredtotheir illustrated positions; and coupling elements comparable with the mentioned pins (the pins '17 and 17 being optionally slightly curved or sprung at 17 for an anti-rattling effect) may be ment 16" being terminally but releasably connected with the impact-receiving element 15 The mentioned intermediate elements .may be'sccured to an attachment element; 12

by. separate pivot pins or by connecting means including pins 17 17 and a handling element or elements such as a step; one'of the pins (as, pin 17 or 17 may beso elongated as to serveas a pivot upon'withdrawal of the-other pin; and/or the outer end of the intermediate element 16 and that of the impact-receiving element 15 may be interconnected by a gravity held or other co11- pling element such as pin 20 ,,preferably upwardly terminating in a special head suitable for naked-hand engagement. This head may, for example, be of'the general character suggested at 18 in Figures 7 and 8; and it will be obviousthat upon withdrawal'of the coupling or pivot pin 20*, the various bumper elements are free separately to move to releasing positions such as are suggested at 15" and 16",even without with drawal of either of the pins 17'", 17 4 In the forms shown in Figure 7', a bumper 14" is shown as comprising. intermediate elements 16., 16, both integral with animp actingereceiving element 15; and it is shown as's'ecuredto an attachment clement 12 by means of a single pivot pin 20, inte 1 gralwitha head 189,-optionally notched,v

as at'21,'in "such manner asto adapt the step head'or handle of the same alternatively to be used, upon withdrawal, as a' wrench. The bumper 14 may be normally held against m'ovementfrom its indicated 1 position by, for example, lockingorclamping" thereto an intermediate bumper section 22. A,terminalportionotthesection re-.

terred' to is shown as extending parallel with aportio'n of the impact-receiving element 15 and as secured thereto by a gravity-held connecting' element comprising a step head 23 and downwardly extending legs 24 and 25,between which is shown a slot 26, VVhetheror not one ofthe elements 15. 22 isso formed as to require to be slightly sprung (asg fro m a position. such as that. indicated bylines- 22 Figure? in" the ap-' pli-cation Ora gravity-heldoriother' cou pling oriconnectin'g element of the described character, andwhether or'not any catch is provided thereon, as conventionally suggested at"26' theinner surfaces of the legs 24,

25, defining the slot 26, may be upwardly slightly convergent.in such manner as to provide" a wedge, fit upon the elements 15 and 22; but the resulting, engagements are not intended: to besuch as to preclude manual or other removal of this interlockingcoupling element, to permit the quarter bumper 14 topivot-upon the pin'20 or its equivalent, for a releasing effect. Z

In Figure *10, an intermediate i1npact-receiving' bumper section 22 is shown as car ried by an" lntermedlate bumper element 27 which is secured to an attachment element 12, the latter carrying j also a: quarter 7 The intermediate section 27? is shown as providing a concavity so formed bumper 14 as; to permitthe bumpenl l 'to pivot upon onepin of a connecting element such as is shown in'Figure 3 or upon a pin 20 'mov ing into said concavity until limited by engagement with. the intermediate bumper seo-,

tion 22 and the intermediate bumper section16 isshown as'including a pin-adapted bossq28 which may be normally engaged by 20 to anattachment element 12 and as adaptedto be normally retained in its inner or impact-withstanding position either by such as that suggested indotted lines at 14 resilient means orby a clip 29 ,'although capable "of swinging outward, for disengagement subsequently to collision, toa position and'it will be obvious'not only that pins and 20 may have step or other special H heads adapted to serve as handles for use in an' upward vwithdrawal thereof but that an intermediate bumper section having the general character suggested at 22 or at 22", ii

provided, may either be spaced from or be yieldably engaged by or be locked to a quarter bumper or terminal. bumper section of any of the described types,one alternative mode of use of an interlocking step element being suggested in Fig. 11 by the dotted lines '23? In Figure 12, a: bumper 14?, supported through an attachment element 12 (which may, in turn, be carried by an additional attachment element 12 servingas a support for a bumpersection 2%) is shownas normally heldin impact-receiving position,

from which it may be more freely moved outward than inward, by means including a compression spring 31,this spring being shown as interposed between ntermediate Yelements 12 and 16 in suchmanner as to permit movement of bumper 14* to such a position as is indicated by dotted lines l for disengagement from an interlocked bumper 1936f another machine, orfthelike.

In order to provide hidden but resiliently yielding means-for the retention of a quarter bumperi'or. terminal bumper section in its normal or impact-resistingposition, it is suggested inFigures 13-15, inclusive, that a compression spring 31 be so disposed upon a" bolt 32 (shown as extending through an at-- tachment element 12 and intermediate element16 of a bumper or bumper section,

' 14 as to draw the mentioned elements toa ward a normal or impact-resisting position fill of mutual engagemeinh -in which they may [beyieldablyretained by anti-rattling means such as aclip 29 In forms last referred to, in which an automatic release may be effected by simply drivtween an intermediate bumper section such 'as 22 or 2% and a quarter bumper or bumper 1 section such as 14 or 14 but Figures 12, 13,

and 14 nevertheless suggest the use of connections comprising pins whose head may pro-- vide one or more steps such as are shown at 18 at 18 and 18 the pins 17 17 or 17 1755 serving to so interconnect intermediate bumper sections with quarter bumpers or bumpersections as to assure a reinforcing effect, although permitting a limited rotative movement thereof with reference to pin 20 (or 20?) regardlessof any withdrawal or retention of a pin 20 In the forms last referred to it will," in fact, be obvious'that none ofthe mentioned pins need be with-u drawn, and that, accordingly, none need be provided with step or other handles; but a withdrawal of pins'may facilitate separation in diflicult cases; and anyone who has ever observed a stout or elderly person trying a to enter a rumble seat compartment will appreciate the advantages in an incidental provision of a plurality of steps at about the same level.

Although the foregoing description has included a varietyof alternative forms, some of which forms are more complex than others, it should be understood not only that the simpler forms may be more extensively used, and that various features of the present invention may be independently employed, but also that numerous modifications, additionalto those suggested herein, might easily be devised,all without involving the slightest departure from the scope ofthe present invention. r

I claim '1. .An easily-releasable bumper section comprising: an impact-receiving element and an attachment element respectively provided with parts engageable by, connecting means; and Connecting means therefor comprising a coupling element which is normally retained by gravity but is directly removable in ap position thereto, for releasably securing said impact-receiving elementvto said attachment element.

2. A bumper section as defined in claiinl in whichsaid coupling element is upwardly provided with a special head suitable for manual engagement to effect its direct withdrawal,

3. Thebumper as defined in claim 1 .in which said coupling element is provided with a head positioned to serve as a handle and shaped to serve as a step.

t. For use in attaching an element of a bumper to a supporting part: a coupling element provided with a head which is shaped to serve as a step.

5. A quarter bumper organization comprising: an impact-receiving element; an attachment element; and connecting means therefor comprising a step element.

6. An easily releasable bumper organization comprising: an impact-receiving element provided with means adapting it to pivotal support; an intermediate element normally connected therewith; and a vertically slidable tool-obviating coupling element provided witha manually engageable head and so movable as to permit, at will, relative movement between said impact-receiving elementand said intermediate element. a

7. An easily-releasable bumper organizat on comprislng an impact-receiving element provided with means adaptingoit to be pivotally supported; an intermediate element also adapted to be pivotally supported; and a tool-obviating coupling element adapted to serve as a pivot therefor and so movable as to permit, at will, relative movement between said im act-receivin element and said intermediate element,one of said elements in-' cluding a manually engageable part normally serving as a step.

8. A bumper organization comprising: end

sections? an intermediate section; andmovable means comprising a step for normally connecting said sect-ions together.

.9. A bumper'organizat on comprising: sep-' arate bumper sectlons; and coupling means therefor including substantially parallel pivot pins interconnected by ahead and interposed between said sections to efiect a i'nutual reenforcement thereof. I I i 10. .A bumper organization comprising: separate bumper sections; and coupling means therefor including substantially parallel pivot pins interconnected by a head and so interposed between said sections as to ef-' feet a mutual reenforcem'ent thereof, said head being adapted to serve both as a handle and as astep. I

11. vA bumper organization comprising: a

terminal bumper section; means for pivotally so supporting parts thereofas to adapt the same to swing outward under impact, althoughnormally retaining the same against inward movement; and an intermediate bumper section so concaved at the ends there-- ofas to permit movement of one of said bumper sections into a concavity thereof for a releasing effect, in case the same hasbeen interlocked. V

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature.

' BERT RUSSELL. 

